Friday, March 21, 2014

You don’t see novelty shops so much anymore. When I was a boy, “toys and novelties” were staples of my consumer life, found in what was called a variety store. You don’t see variety stores so much either.

The Oxford English Dictionary dates the word novelty to c. 1384: “Something new, not previously experienced, unusual, or unfamiliar; a novel thing.” The meaning of the word as I knew it (or sort of knew it) dates from 1840: “An often useless or trivial but decorative or amusing object, esp. one relying for its appeal on the newness of its design. Also (in later use): spec. a small inexpensive toy or trinket. Freq. in pl. ”

The novelties that first come to my mind: the sliding box that turned one coin into another, the folding gadget that made a dollar bill disappear, and Wriggley’s Gum. These days, the word novelties often refers to very different merchandise, for grown-ups only.

Here, from 2010, is a photograph of what was said to be New York City’s last novelty shop. Joke items, anyone?

That's terrible news about Uncle Fun's, Diane. When we lived in Chicago and our nieces and nephew were young, it was a regular stop ahead of Christmas. It would be hard to say whether the sale items or the customers were the greater novelty.

I remember joy-buzzers and cans full of "snakes" that sprang out when opened. Novelty and variety shops also sold those fascinating little plastic submarines that would dive and resurface when loaded with baking soda.

Dallas & Co. is still going strong here in Champaign. Owned and operated by performing magician, Andy Dallas, the store has magic tricks, joke items, and such. They also have a very large costume and party supply inventory which, no doubt, subsidizes the novelties. It's a wonderful place to visit in Champaign-Urbana.

“Orange Crate Art” is a song by Van Dyke Parks and the title of a 1995 album by Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson. “Orange Crate Art” is for me one of the great American songs: “Orange crate art was a place to start.”

Don’t look for premiums orcoupons, as the cost ofthe thoughts blended inORANGE CRATE ART pro-hibits the use of them.